Businesses to adopt Mac OS X powered PCs?

A network of Apple Specialists dealers said during a meeting at the MacWorld Conference and Expo in Boston that businesses are more and more switching to Macintosh systems. They further claim that the switch to x86 Intel processors will certainly boost this evolution.

"After speaking with hundreds of clients over the past few weeks the consensus among our members is that there is strong evidence that Apple is being welcomed more into the business mainstream than ever before," said Kevin Langdon, executive director of the Apple Specialist Marketing Co-op, which represents the Apple Specialist channel of 160 independent dealers with 300 locations throughout the U.S., "and the announcement of the forthcoming Intel-based Macs is helping fuel this new acceptance.

Macintosh computers have long been the mainstay of graphic designers and other creative professionals, but have been eclipsed in other aspects of business computing by Microsoft, despite the fact that Walt Mossberg has called today's PowerPC Macs the "best consumer computers on the market" and declared Apple's Tiger 10.4 operating system as the "best and most advanced personal computer operating system on the planet."

Langdon believes that Apple's growing market share, combined with PC users' frustration with viruses, spyware and other system limitations, will eventually lead to a widespread crossover to the Mac platform by business and commercial clients. Those businesses will need experts to help them plan and implement the new platform.

"Small business owners looking for a powerful, fast and secure way to run their businesses should look to Apple Specialists to guide them through the transition," Langdon said. Apple Specialists are independent Apple dealers and Service Providers who meet Apple's highest standards for product knowledge, technical expertise and certifications. "We're not 'box pushers' -- we're solution experts. Apple Specialists run their own businesses on the Mac platform and know exactly what a business owner needs to run their business efficiently and smoothly."